A visit to the gynecological office is a mandatory procedure for all women. It is recommended to go through it at least twice a year. Almost every visit to the gynecologist is accompanied by taking tests. Urogenital smear allows you to determine the degree of purity of the female body, the presence of inflammation and infections.
Reasons and reasons to take tests
In the presence of certain symptoms, you should not wait for a planned gynecological examination, it is better to contact immediately to determine the cause of discomfort. The reason for visiting a doctor or taking an extraordinary test should be the following symptoms:
1. Uncharacteristic vaginal discharge (for example, curd, greenish, with a smell and others).
2. Pain in the lower abdomen.
3. Burning or itching in the intimate area.
4. Taking potent antibiotics.
5. Planning for conception.
Preparing for a doctor's visit
Despite the general opinion that it is not necessary to prepare for the test, this is not so. There are a number of recommendations that should be followed to obtain a more accurate and reliable result:
1. Refrain from using the toilet for at least 2-3 hours. Otherwise, urine can disrupt the microflora and wash away some of the bacteria.
2. Procedures such as douching, washing with aggressive (antibacterial) soap, or using therapeutic candles can affect the results.
3. If possible, it is better to postpone the test for the period after menstruation.
4. Refrain from sexual intercourse on the eve of a doctor's visit.
Assay Procedure
A urogenital smear is taken at the first appointment with a gynecologist. The analysis is most often carried out by the attending physician, but sometimes the procedure can be carried out by a nurse (for example, in medical laboratories).
After placing the patient in a gynecological chair with the help of a spatula, the doctor collects biological material. To do this, he passes the instrument along the walls of the vagina, urethra and cervical canal. The spatula is usually metal or plastic. After taking the smear, it is distributed evenly over a small glass, where different sections are marked with Latin letters. The procedure does not cause pain.
Such an analysis can be taken not only by women, but by men. To do this, the doctor inserts a special probe into the urethra and turns it several times. Urogenital smear in men , as a rule, does not cause pain, but still the procedure is quite unpleasant. Pain can be exacerbated by the presence of diseases or infections.
The next step is to send and study the urogenital smear in the laboratory. The biological material is dried, after which the smear is stained in various colors, which allows you to reliably determine the degree of purity and other indicators.
Terms of preparation of the results and cost of the procedure
A smear from the urogenital tract is a simple procedure that takes little time. Analysis results are usually ready the next day. Such an analysis can be passed in the district clinic at the place of residence, and completely free of charge.
In the absence of time and desire to wait long in turn for a free treatment, you can always contact a paid laboratory or a private medical clinic. Here, an analysis of the urogenital smear will cost 450-600 rubles. The terms for preparing the results are the same as in the district clinic, that is, one day.
Urogenital smear: results and their interpretation
A smear for the degree of purity allows you to get results about the following indicators: white blood cells, epithelium, infection, flora, mucus and others. The analysis results are always presented in the form of a table with the following main columns: urethra (" U "), vagina (" V "), cervical canal (" C "). Additional columns are the name of the studied indicators.
1. The indicators in line “V” tell about the composition of the vaginal flora.
2. The cervical canal, or cervix. The data in this column reveal the composition of the flora of this particular area of the body.
3. The urethra, or urethra, is the third column.
In order to understand the results, it is worth knowing approximate standards and indicators:
1. Flat epithelium - these are cells located in the uterus and vagina. They must be present in the body, otherwise the doctor may suspect the development of a deficiency or excess of some hormones. Normally, their content should be from 5 to 10. Microscopy of the urogenital smear can show an increase in the content of squamous cells due to an increase in the content of estrogen in the blood. In the premenopausal period, the content of the epithelium can significantly decrease, which is associated with a decrease in the amount of estrogen.
2. The presence of white blood cells - they are responsible for protecting the intimate area. In the urethra, the number of leukocytes should be from 0 to 5, in the vagina - from 0 to 10 (during pregnancy, the indicators increase to 20). A small amount is considered normal and indicates that the body is healthy. A urogenital smear, in which white blood cells are elevated, indicates an onset of inflammation (urethritis, urolithiasis, damage to the epithelium by stone or sand). The higher the number, the more developed the inflammatory process.
3. Staphylococcus aureus - its presence in the smear is normal. The increased content of bacteria indicates the onset of the inflammatory process.
4. Mucus - the increased content of this biological material may indicate non-compliance with hygiene rules, inflammation or improper smear taking. Normally, the indicator should be moderate.
A healthy organism is populated by an abundance of biological sticks (bifidobacteria and lactobacilli). They protect the intimate area from getting into and developing inflammation and infection. During the period a woman carries a child, the content of lactobacilli in the vagina increases even more to create reliable protection against infections. With a decrease in their number, dysbiosis may develop.
Foreign bacteria may indicate infection or inflammation. Urogenital smear (the decoding of which is given above ) may contain:
1. Cocci are bacteria. They are distinguished by several types: diplococci, gonococci. A large number of them can talk about the development of inflammation in the vagina, urethra or dysbiosis. There are positive and negative cocci. Their structure is very different, which affects the necessary type of treatment. Gram-positive indicate the presence of streptococci or staphylococci. Gram-negative, or gonococci, are the causes of gonorrhea. Depending on their type, the doctor makes a choice of drugs.
2. Small sticks are often symptoms of gardnerellosis .
3. Fungal bacteria indicate the development of a fungal disease (thrush, or candidiasis).
4. Trichomonas - their presence indicates the development of trichomoniasis.
5. Atypical (key) cells adhere to biological sticks. Often they talk about the development of bacterial vaginosis (vaginal dysbiosis) or gardnerellosis.
6. Leptrotrix - a bacterium that is often present in the microflora. In itself, it is not a disease, but its detection indicates a violation of the state of microflora or the presence of a sexually transmitted disease. Often it accompanies diseases such as thrush and vaginosis.
For the cervical canal, the following indicators are normal: leukocytes from 0 to 30, the epithelium is normal, the remaining bacteria and cells should be absent.
Microscopy of an urogenital smear can establish the presence of mixed flora. This is a fairly common diagnosis. Most often, this occurs in adolescents or women in the menopause. Otherwise, mixed flora may indicate a malfunction in the ovaries, dysbiosis, infection, inflammation of the pelvic organs, a certain period of the cycle.
In most cases, a urogenital smear allows you to establish the presence of an inflammatory process or infection, but it does not give a complete picture.
If abnormalities are found, the doctor may need additional test results. This is due to the fact that a general smear does not show urogenital infections . Many viruses and bacteria are so small that they can only be detected by conducting a separate independent examination and taking tests for infections.
To determine the reaction of infection to drugs, bacteriological culture is taken.
Normal Male Smear
Urogenital smear in men shows the presence of white blood cells, epithelium, cocci, Trichomonas, mucus and microflora. Analysis is taken from the urethra using a special spatula. Laboratory results are always presented in the form of a table with two columns. Normal indicators for men are:
1. White blood cells - from 0 to 5.
2. Epithelium - from 5 to 10.
3. Mucus - moderate content.
4. Kokki - single.
Other indicators (mushrooms, gonococci and Trichomonas) should be absent. Deviations from the norm may indicate the presence of an inflammatory process or infection. This may be the reason for the appointment of additional analyzes in order to obtain a complete picture. Only after this treatment is prescribed if necessary.
Urogenital smear: normal rates in men
In the body of a healthy man, the content of leukocytes from 0 to 5, epithelium from 5 to 10, cocci in a single amount is possible, the remaining indicators should be 0.
Any deviations from the norm are the reason for an additional examination. An increased white blood cell count may indicate the development of urethritis, prostatitis, urolithiasis, narrowing of the urethra, or the development of a tumor.
An increase in the amount of epithelium is also a negative indicator. Perhaps the development of inflammation or urolithiasis. The cocci content can be caused by an increase in the bacterial content and the development of urethritis against this background. Mucus may indicate an inflammatory process, urethritis, or prostatitis.
Similar analyzes
Analysis of the degree of purity of the vagina implies the presence of four categories. In this case, only the first two speak about the health of a woman, the next two indicate the presence of the disease:
1. The first degree of purity. This result is quite rare. It indicates the health of a woman. All indicators are normal.
2. The second degree of purity. A very common result. In this case, the number of leukocytes does not exceed the permissible norm, and mucus and epithelium are moderately present. The presence of mushrooms and cocci is noted , but in a small number. A large number of lactobacilli are present.
3. The third degree of purity. It is characterized by an abundance of mucus and epithelium. An increase in the number of fungi and bacteria is noted, while the number of lactobacilli is small.
4. The fourth degree of purity. It is characterized by an abundance of white blood cells, mucus and harmful organisms.
The first two degrees of purity indicate the health of the body. Subsequent degrees indicate the need for urgent treatment. After undergoing medical treatment, a second test is performed.
Taking a pregnancy test
During pregnancy, an urogenital swab is taken three times: on the day of the first examination and registration, at the 30th week and before childbirth.
Checks are made in order to exclude the presence of inflammation or infection. Any deviation from the norm can affect the development of the fetus.
There are differences in the smears of a pregnant and non-pregnant woman:
1. The content of sticks increases significantly, due to the need to create an acidic flora. It prevents the development of pathogenic microflora.
2. The number of epithelial cells is growing. It is necessary for the nutrition of lactobacilli and maintaining their growth.
The remaining indicators are identical. The presence of unwanted microorganisms requires treatment.
Cons of a similar study
Despite the universality of such a study and a large number of indicators studied, the urogenital analysis has a serious drawback - the impossibility of an accurate diagnosis of the disease. To determine the presence of infection and establish its type will have to pass an additional analysis for STDs.
However, a urogenital smear is the easiest and cheapest way to determine the condition of the patient. Many other similar analyzes are also used. Some doctors attribute this type of study to an outdated method and prefer other test options. Despite this, the general smear for determining the purity of the body is still relevant and is used by many.
Conclusion
Thus, deciphering the results of the urogenital smear will not seem so complicated if you know the norms of interpretation. Such an analysis can be passed in most medical institutions, and the speed of obtaining the result makes it very popular and popular.